


Minus K

by AveryUnit



Category: Dangan Ronpa, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 17:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9081592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AveryUnit/pseuds/AveryUnit
Summary: It was the evening before Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve… ning? Christmas Evening? It was the middle of the day on the 23rd of December, how about that? No, too lengthy. It– It was the 23rd, let’s just leave it at that.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt; Kaede and Kiibo kiss outside in the snow on their way to a Christmas party and Kaede's tounge gets stuck to Kiibo. It's short, but I still hope you like it!!  
> (Special thanks to g0sto on tumblr for helping me with this fic!)

It was the evening before Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve… ning? Christmas Evening? It was the middle of the day on the 23rd of December, how about that? No, too lengthy. It– It was the 23rd, let’s just leave it at that.

 

It was the day before the 24th, Christmas Eve. The day where many people gathered together, mainly family, sometimes friends, and _always_ strangers who you would’ve never guessed were your family until your parents warmly greeted them and urged you to introduce yourself and awkwardly shake hands or hug. The day where presents are given and exchanged, where gifts both good and bad were received, and where alcohol flowed like water.

 

Today wasn’t Christmas Eve, but due to most of Kaede’s classmates having plans of their own–including her–the following day, they agreed to meet the day before, in order to celebrate.

 

On that day, snow fell gently on the asphalt ground, with tall lanterns over-looking the streets and guiding any pedestrian to their destination.

 

One of them being…

 

“ _Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit_.”

 

The SHSL Pianist herself, running late for a Christmas party hosted at Toujo’s place.

 

There was a lot of debate over where the party should be hosted, and it came pretty close in Ouma’s favour, but everyone ultimately (pun not intended) decided on having it at Kirumi’s house, as she’ll actually enjoy cleaning the inevitable mess they’ll make.

 

While out buying presents for the others with Kiibo, the two agreed to meet on the scheduled day by the diner near the border of town, so they can walk together. They agreed on the time of the meeting–around half an hour before the party starts–and parted ways, both taking notes on their phone or internal clock.

 

On the day of the party, Kaede got the bright idea to practice playing various christmas carols, since she had gotten rusty at them. You want her to play the ‘Moonlight Sonata’? You got it. ‘For Elise’? No problem! ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’? She can do it with her eyes closed. But simple tunes such as ‘Happy Birthday’ or basic holiday songs always tended to slip her mind. Probably because she needed to remember such lengthy and complicated songs that she had to erase some tunes from her brain for the time being, most of them being classics, and she wanted to play those exact classics in order to lift the atmosphere.

 

Her practice proved to be fruitful and she could play “Silent Night” and “Christmas Tree” and various others from memory.

 

Akamatsu yawned and rubbed some sleep out of her eyes, tired from last-minute shopping. (it was hard to find the novel Shuichi kept talking about, it was apparently not very famous and there weren’t many bookshops near Kaede’s house) She looked over at the clock in order too see how much time that took her, and her eyes almost bulged out of her head when they told her that she was an hour late for the meet-up with her _damn boyfriend._

 

At the speed of light, she dressed up, hurriedly put on some mascara and lip gloss (stowing it away in her bag for later), picked up her presents and left the house, having to backtrack a minute later because she forgot to lock the door.

 

Which bring us back to…

 

“ _Shit shit shit shit shit s **hit shit shit. Shit. SHIT.**_ ”

 

Just as fast, she ran to the agreed spot (the traffic was pitiful to look at and Akamatsu was glad Kiibo persuaded her to walk instead of taking the bus today), nearly tripping and falling flat on her face at _least_ 5 times on the way. Why the hell did she pick out the shoes with the smooth soles? Oh yeah, the snow was supposed to melt by today, but instead, because of the low temperature, the water just turned into crazy-slippery ice. Damn weather forecast. Can never trust them.

 

After a few minutes, the high-schooler came to a stop near the ‘Hanaruka Diner’ and quickly put her presents on the ground, hunched over and tried to get her breath back, coughing pathetically while trying to do so.

 

After making sure she wasn’t going to die of asphyxiation, the girl looked around, searching for any sight for her significant other, but… she found none.

 

“The hell…? He’s usually _punctual_ …” She wondered out loud as she reached into her bag, searching blindly for her phone. “Is the ice slowing him down…?”

 

Just as she grabbed hold of her phone when she nervously pondered the possibility that she forgot it in her rush, Akamatsu heard a familiar voice.

 

"Kaede!"

 

To the other side of the diner, Kiibo, wearing a light brown poncho and rain boots–two bags sitting by his feet as well–was waving a–colored similiarly to the poncho–mittened hand in her direction, calling her over.

 

The girl heaved something between a sigh and laugh of relief before grabbing her bags and running over to him.

 

“Kiibo!! Sorry I’m–”

 

Just as she was about to stop by him, Kaede’s damn slippery soles betrayed her and she came tumbling down right into the cold, icey gro– no, wait, where was the rock and scary amount of blood? Why wasn't Akamatsu’s head touching anything?

 

Oh.

 

Kiibo caught her.

 

And he was now tango-dipping his girlfriend in public.

 

“Kaede, you should not run when there is so much ice! You might hurt yourself!” He scolded her, slowly bringing the young lady to her feet.

 

“Uh-huh.” Was all that came out as she still held his arms in a vice grip, face flushed not only from exhaustion or the cold, but also embarrassment now.

 

Thankfully, there weren’t actually that many people around so Kaede didn’t have to worry about a crowd forming around and starting to ‘ooooh’ like in these cliche movie scenes.

 

A few more seconds passed as the SHSL Robot’s blue eyes scanned her, waiting for a reaction. She blinked multiple times before finally letting him go and instead rubbed the back of her head. “U-Um, I am really sorry I’m late…!!” She exclaimed loudly, looking around in a slight panic as to make sure her sudden tone didn’t attract any attention or startle her companion. “I completly lost track of time, and… I’m just really sorry for making you wait so long in the cold… You should’ve just gone on without me…” She bowed her head.

 

Kiibo blinked and his face scrunched up in confusion. “Late? Kaede, it is currently 16:23, 7 minutes before our scheduled meeting.”

 

 

 

The sound of a car driving by them was heard as the SHSL Pianist kept her head down lest she gapes at her boyfriend like a dead fish.

 

“Is it really.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Uuuuuuughhhhh.” She buried her face in her hands.

 

The boy, however, leaned down and laid his palms on the girl’s forearms, gently coercing her to show her face. “How did you mistake the time?”

 

“I…” She peeked at her significant other through her fingers before letting her arms lamely drop by her sides. “I was sleepy and I guess I misread the time…? Or maybe the clock was running late… No, yeah, the clock in the salon runs late. Ugh.” She dropped her forehead on Kiibo’s shoulder.

 

The boy hugged the SHSL Pianist and patted her on the back reassuringly. “Well, if you look on the bright side, we definitely won’t be late now.” He comforted her.

 

“…Yeah, that’s true.” She smiled and hugged him back. They each gave each other a squeeze before seperating, with the taller one offering him her hand.

 

“Let’s get going, yeah?”

 

The robot smiled and his ahoge bounced as he took the girl’s hand in his own.

 

“Let’s.”

 

And they started walking.

 

They got a good 4 steps ahead before Kaede froze.

 

_“ **SHIT**. The presents!! Where are they!?”_

 

 

======================================

 

 

Kaede spent the next few minutes of their walk trying to brush away her shame as she kept remembering the fact that she needlessly shouted in the middle of the street despite the the presents being a mere feet away from them, laying sadly by the sidewalk in the snow, and their contents safe and undamaged.

 

Right now they were passing by the gates of a huge park, tall lanterns curiously peering over the bars.

 

“I mean, Santa Claus only comes after everyone is asleep, right?” Kiibo continued their conversation, swinging his and Kaede’s connected hands around. “So If Iruma creates devices that function while you’re supposed to be asleep, would she install a secret camera that even Santa wouldn’t notice? Or maybe he has some sort of power that lets him delete camera footage after he leaves…?”

 

“I mean, if Santa is able to deliver presents to every house over the course of one night, then him having that kind of power wouldn’t be unbelievable.” She agreed.

 

“Right!?” He beamed. “From a personal standpoint, I believe I will end up on the Nice list! At least… I hope so. I mean, I shouldn’t selfishly rate myself.” His face fell.

 

“From my own standpoint, you’ve been the same, kind, charitable Kiibo the whole year. So you definitely don’t have to worry about that.” Kaede reassured him, squeezing his hand. “What you should worry about is Ouma possibly ending up on the Nice list.”

 

Kiibo’s face fell again, but it was more out of disgust than sadness. “If he gets on the Nice list, I might start questioning Santa’s morals, but Ouma still has some good in him… I think.” He murmured, and after a moment, perked up again. “Actually, there has been something that’s been bothering me lately…” Kiibo broke the silence as he stared up at the sky, the stars painted on it obscured by gross brown clouds.

 

“What is it?” Kaede replied and looked over at him, squeezing his hand again.

 

“I do not think many people from our class are christian, let alone religious. So why do we all have a Christmas party?” He turned his head to instead look at his girlfriend. “Wouldn’t it be… I’m not sure what the right word is… blasphemous?”

 

Akamatsu hummed and looked away as she searched for an answer. “Well, we’re not really doing it out of religion. I mean, Angie’s there and she’s obviously devoted to her own belief. We’re doing it for fun, to exchange presents, and spend time with eachother. It’s more out of tradition than out of respect for a god.”

 

“Do you have a religion, Kaede?”

 

“My family practices Shintoism, but we’re pretty lax about it.”

 

“Do you believe in Shintoism?” He tilted his head.

 

“I guess?” She shrugged. “I mean, mostly to have some peace of mind when there’s talk about the creation of the world or death. Existential crises are no fun, let me tell you. I want to believe that there was a beginning and that ‘the end’ is really just a new beginning.”

 

“Does that mean there is no end?”

 

Kaede fell silent.

 

“I don’t know. Only dead people know what happens after death, after all, and that’s the scary part. But there is scientific proof that souls exist, and so a higher place of existence might too.”

 

The boy looked down and murmured; ”…I wonder if I have a soul.”

 

The Ultimate Pianist suddenly stopped and the Ultimate Robot was forced to halt as well, due to their still-linked hands. Akamatsu put her bags on the snow-covered sidewalk and instead put her hand on the boy’s cheek, turning his bewildered face towards her serious expression. If Kiibo had a heart, he’d be sure it would be pounding like crazy right now. However, his chest still swelled with a strange warmth.

 

”You experience feelings and have thoughts of your own. You like things, you dislike things, you get happy and angry and sad, you’re curious about the world and the people inhabiting it…” She closed her eyes and sighed, and then her face turned gentle, smile reassuring and eyes loving, only making the boy’s own eyes to widen. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it as many times as you need me to. You’re just as human as us, Kiibo. As me. You’re determined and kind, and I love you so much. I wouldn’t give you for the world.”

 

The boy absentmindedly put a gloved hand to lay atop the one caressing his face (not realizing he might’ve dropped his bags a little _too_ roughly). It took him a few seconds to let his lovers speech sink in, and when it did, he blinked until eventually fully closing his eyes and melting into the touch.

 

“Well…” He started, eyes still closed. Kaede leaned her head down a bit with a curious expression, which turned to pleasant surprise when the robot looked up again with a small smile plastered on his face.

 

“If there really is a higher power, it led me to meet you, hasn’t it? And whether it was fate, a god, or simply coincidence, that’s honestly the thing I’m most grateful for this year.“

 

Kaede couldn’t help her grin from widening, nor could she or wanted to push back the flame burning pleasantly in her heart at the words, warmer than any fireplace.

 

“Y’know,” Kaede stepped closer to him, leaning her head down the tiniest bit. “I’m personally still having trouble accepting that life let me be so happy with someone so wonderful.”

 

“Believe me,” Kiibo leaned his head back and stood on his tippy toes, steel nose brushing the girl’s as his eyes narrowed. “I am too.”

 

The wind, as if on cue, brushed past them and sent the robot’s poncho billowing in it as the couple shared a kiss. It wasn’t their first, It certainly wasn’t their last, and it was definitely one of their many to come.

 

The two loverbirds had their eyes closed for the few seconds they were connected and opened them only after they seperate–

 

…

 

After they seperated–

 

…

 

What the hell?

 

Kaede pulled her lips away from Kiibo’s but his face was still right there in front of her, and her tongue–

 

Her tongue was… _stuck_?

 

Her tongue was stuck to Kiibo’s lips. Kiibo’s metallic, synthetic lips, sticky due to the cold weather.

 

And because she touched his cheek with a leather-covered hand, she couldn’t have known. And now the girl’s tongue was hopelessly stuck to the robot boy’s bottom lip.

 

Well, this was just perfect. It was definitely perfect just a few seconds ago, with the musician and android in a state of bliss from the romantic setting, the warmth eminating from Kaede’s body warming up Kiibo’s… and then this happens. And ‘perfect’ could still be used to describe this situation, sure, but only with pure sarcasm.

 

“Um.” Kiibo looked about as shocked and a tad uncomfortable at this turn of events as Kaede, his mittens seperating themselves from the young womans’s and hovered in the air by her shoulders, completly at a loss of what to do.

 

“Uh.” Kaede wasn’t any better, her eyes trying to avoid eye contact, which proved to be difficult due to the overworldly close proximity between the two individuals. She brought her now-free hands to the young man’s shoulderblades, trying to lightly push him away from her. Her tongue didn't give out.

 

“Should I…” Kiibo raised a hand close to Kaede’s tongue and almost closed it, as if he were about to grab it.

 

“Lo! Son’t!” Kaede shook her head in panic, which proved to be a mistake, as she made her boyfriends head shake too as a result, not to mention strain her own tongue. “Ih juss…” She resumed trying to push away from him. It made her tongue ache and feel like it was about to pop off, but she endured it in hopes of them seperating.

 

“W-Wait, Kaede…!” The boy cried, his bottom lip straining under the strong pull. Where the girl was pulling away, the boy was following, fearing that his face would soon be missing a jaw.

 

As they fumbled around on the sidewalk, legs shuffling and arms desperately trying to pull the other body away, Kaede’s smooth shoes gave her away once again, making her lose her footing. She held on to Kiibo’s arms as tight as she could manage in order to not tumble, but the plan she made up about 37 miliseconds ago backfired, and the only thing she did was pull her lifeline down into the snow with her. It’d be poetic if it wasn’t so stupid.

 

As the two fell unto the cold ground, the strain of Kaede’s body pulling Kiibo’s down with her made her tongue finally seperate from the metal, at the cost of a burning sensation at the tip of it.

 

“Owwww…” She whined, both from the impact and the pain in her mouth. When she tore her attention away from her hurting, though, she found herself looking up at Kiibo’s figure shadowed by the lanterns above him, his blue eyes glowing, and the brown sky dropping small specks of snow from behind him. He seemed surprised, and his ahoge was standing rigid. She also noted that something was cradling her head.

 

In confusion, Kaede looked around, and she found one of Kiibo’s gloved hands supporting his own body by pressing against the ground, and his other hand reached behind her skull, preventing it from hitting the hard, ice-covered stone.

 

Long story short, he was on top of her.

 

Huh.

 

“Um.” Kiibo started, breaking the awkward silence. ”Are you alright?”

 

“Yeah. You?” Kaede responded, unblinking, staring up at the other’s face in shock and the tip of her tongue still sticking out.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“Oh, good.”

 

“Yes.”

 

 

 

The awkward pause was back.

 

 

 

“We should… probably get up.” The boy cut through the quiet once again.

 

“Oh! Um, r-right.” Akamatsu finally blinked, and laughed nervously.

 

Kiibo got up to his feet first and then extended a hand to his girlfriend. Smiling, she gladly took it.

 

When she stood up, she still didn’t let go, much to the boy’s confusion. She then brought the gloved hand to her lips, giving it a kiss. The android’s eyes widened a bit and steam seemed to evaporate from under his collar.

 

“Thanks for saving my head. And just… thanks in general.” She smiled. That smile alone made Kiibo feel like he wanted to look at it forever, and also to look away lest the target of his affections sees him in a moment of utter helplessness. Two very contradicting desires.

 

“It was really nothing…” He ultimately looked away and tucked his face into his collar.

 

Looking back at Kaede, though, he pondered when she suddenly got so close again as she pressed her forehead to his and grabbed hold of both his hands.

 

“You’re not planning to kiss me again, are you? You haven’t forgotten what has just transpired?” Kiibo said nervously, but he didn’t pull away.

 

“I didn’t forget. And I _am_ planning on it. Just… after we’re out of the cold, obviously.” She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand.

 

“Then… that’s fine. Definitely fine.” He pulled off a smile to match the girl’s and brushed his nose against hers.

 

Kaede huffed out a laugh, leaned her head back and pressed a final kiss (at least for now) to the boy’s hair. “C’mon, let’s get going, or else we’ll be late even _with_ the headstart.”

 

Kiibo grin turned even wider. “Let’s.”

 

They took eachother’s respective presents (which were still somehow miraculously intact) and continued on their way, still holding eachothers hands.

 

And along the way, Kaede decided that she should wear the smooth-soled shoes more often. At least, when going out with Kiibo.

 

 

 

=====================================

 

 

When the couple _finally_ arrived at Toujo’s house, Amami was standing in the middle of the room, covered head to toe in garland and for some reason that Kaede didn’t get until later, Hoshi was sitting atop his shoulders, completly unfazed. Angie and Himiko seemed to be in the middle of attaching various small baubles to the Ultimate Question Mark Question Mark Question Mark’s baggy shirt. Ouma, Gonta, Maki and Saihara were watching in amazement and slight worry, debatable, based on the person. Toujo, the host herself, was running around, making sure the food in the kitchen was unburnt and that her guests were comfortable, bringing drinks, hot chocolate and biscuits.

 

The couple put their presents under the actual Christmas Tree, despite Angie and Kokichi’s demands that they be put by Rantaro’s feet, and even though he really didn’t seem to mind (or maybe he did, it was always hard to tell with him), the pianist and robot, unnerved, still refused and put them where they planned to put them.

 

  
The next hour was filled with chatter and looking back upon the year. Tsumigi soon appeared, Shinguji and Tenko following behind. The second she undressed from her fluffy coat, she called down Hoshi, telling him she got him something that he _absolutely had_ to put on right now. As the SHSL Tennis Player climbed down from the glitter-covered teen, he questioned whether he should unwrap his present before everyone arrived, but Shirogane argued that it was more of a mood-setter and she still had the actual present for him with her. She gave him the neatly-wrapped black and navy present, and Ryoma cautiously stalked off to the bathroom.

 

He came back in a tiny Santa Claus outfit, beard and all. Kiibo gasped loudly and nearly screamed.

 

He immediately stood up and picked the costumed little man up, spinning him in a circle and laughing. Hoshi didn’t seem to actually mind, he simply patted the giddy boy on the head and gently asked to be put down, but then retraced and asked him to put him back on top of the, he coughed, ‘Christmas Tree’. The spiky-haired student oblidged, setting the man on top of Amami’s shoulders once again.

 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, Hoshi, why are you sitting on Amami’s head?” Kiibo asked the question that’s also been on his girlfriends mind.

 

“It’s my destiny, kiddo. ‘S in my name.” He replied, totally serious.

 

“…Star Dragon?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

A pause as the robot and pianist’s eyes wandered around the room. And then both their ahoges turned into the shape of a lightbulb.

 

“Ooooooooh.” They both drawled, smashing fists down unto an open palm.

 

Another half an hour as the new guests settled in, when Himiko interrupted the conversation by thrusting mistletoes in the couple’s direction.

 

“You two. Put these on your cowlick-thingies.”

 

“Uh… Why?” Kaede questioned.

 

“Just ‘cuz.”

 

She didn’t give any further argument and went back to decorating the poor green haired boy. Akamatsu noticed that Amami had not one, but two mistletoes’s tied to the top of his head. He seemed to be only slightly suffering.

 

The couple looked at eachother, shrugged and tied the plants to eachothers ahoges.

 

A few minutes after they did, Kaede recalled something, and went to the kitchen, where Toujo currently resided.

 

“Hey, Kirumi, is it okay if Kiibo and I… go to a guest room for a little bit?” There wasn’t any other way to word that that wouldn’t make it seem like it was what it was not. That’s a mouthful. Good thing she only thought that.

 

Kirumi stopped stirring the batter of what the shorter woman could only assume were gingerbread cookies and looked at her with a ‘look’. She didn’t know what that look actually meant, but it made her want to crawl into the nearest washing machine and not climb back out for at least two hours.

 

“I trust that you will not do anything… risque?” The maid raised an eyebrow.

 

“Toujo, you know that out of all of us, Kiibo and I are probably the least sexually active couple, right?” She leaned on the doorframe.

 

“And the most sickeningly sweet. Not that it’s a bad thing. Quite the opposite, in fact.” A small smile graced the refined teens features. “The doors are open. Go in any room as you please.”

 

“Um, thank you!” She said, turning away, a flush still present on her face from the statement. The other Ultimate bowed and went back to cooking.

 

Every pair of eyes present in the house was focused on the couple as the girl dragged the boy off.

 

When they got to the room and flicked the lights on, Kaede reached a hand out to pull of the mistletoe out of her hair, before deciding against it.

 

“Why the sudden intrusion, Kaede? Did something happen?” Kiibo questioned, eyebrows creased in worry.

 

“No, no, everything’s fine!” She smiled, putting her hands up in defense. “I just remembered something… Are you warmer now?”

 

“Yes, the frost on my face plate has definitely melted off by now.“ Kiibo guided his girlfriends hand to his cheek in order to demonstrate. True enough, his ‘skin’ was back to its normal, smooth state, albeit still a bit damp. Like hell that was going to stop Kaede, though.

 

With a sly smile akin to one the SHSL Dictator would make, she brought her face closer to the robots, and her hand under his chin. “Good.”

 

Without warning this time, Kaede leaned down to kiss Kiibo, making him jump slightly before relaxing and putting both hands around her shoulders as hers wandered down to his lower back.

 

“I promised you that I would kiss you later, right?” Kaede said after they pulled away. “Without having my tongue stuck to you in a way neither of us would like?”

 

“Oh!” His ahoge straightened. “Indeed you did…”

 

“Are you up for another one?”

 

“…I am definitely not against it.”

 

They both huffed out a laugh and kissed again.

 

And again.

 

And again.

 

And again, and again, and again.

 

Each lasting just a little bit longer than the other, wanting to savor each moment, each feeling.

 

Until a creaking sound suddenly broke them out of their blissful trance. Sputtering and caught off guard, they turned their attention to Hoshi, still clad in the Santa Claus outfit, leaning against the doorframe and munching on a peeled mandarin.

 

“You two couldn’t have waited ‘till we at least opened the presents?” He said with a smirk through bites.

 

After awkwardly leaving the room and even more awkwardly coming back to the salon, everyone eventually arrived and it was time to open the presents.

 

Some were alright, some sent the receiver screaming in joy, some were thrown right into the face of their secret santa. Saihara couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on his face when he got the novel from Kaede.

 

Kaede’s blue sweater and AC adapter she got for Kiibo made the boy kiss her in utter joy. The amethyst necklace and violet sweater with a music pun on “Just B Natural” almost made the two make out again before Ouma whistled and brought them out of their joy, instead settling on hugging the giddiness out of eachother.

 

And that was probably the best evening-before-Christmas Eve-party the two have had so far in their whole lifes.

 


End file.
